The lantern which was recovered from the H.L. Hunley submarine was not a carbide, or acetylene lamp. The carbide technology for lights was not invented until several decades after the American Civil War. The lantern found aboard the Hunley was an oil burning lamp, likely sperm whale oil; it had a bullseye lens, and was properly called a “dark lantern” due to its sliding shade which could reveal or hide the flame at the operator’s will. The “blue light” which was mentioned in the historical record of the engagement between the H.L. Hunley and the USS Housatonic was a pyrotechic firework signal in long use in both military and civilian sectors. It was not a magnesium light. The original formulae for its manufacture are listed in period US military texts, and I have reproduced it and tested it under conditions similar to those during the Hunley-Housatonic engagement. See YouTube: “Burning Blue Light” and “Making Civil War-Era Blue Light”
We even had a guy in Poland who volunteered to take on the task of experimenting with several species of wood -- soaked in sea water -- to see which would have been a suitable "shear pin" for releasing the torpedo from the spar. (Pine swelled and jammed up the works terribly...)
My ID of the lamp as acetylene/carbide was based of the disarticulated lamp remains shown in the x-rays of the lump of concretion. It did bear a close resemblance to the exterior form of some models of acetylene lamps. (Hence my mis-ID...) I have always said I wanted to analyze the lamp remains after they were freed from of the concretion.
I'm headed off to teach a unit on archaeology to a group of Texas Master Naturalist candidates, but when I get back home I will want to read up on and view everything you have done on this fascinating line of research. So, please send along (FReepMail?) any URLs you might find useful on the subject -- and thanks!!
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Congratulations on moving our knowledge of the HLH story a leap further forward!! Good work!!!